Urban scouting

LISA KAPPS

Monday

Jun 28, 2010 at 12:01 AMJun 28, 2010 at 4:11 PM

Scoutreach introduces Scouting to boys in rural, inner-city areas

The weekly meeting of Troop 21 begins with a half-dozen teenage Boy Scouts standing in a circle, hands placed over their hearts, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Then the Scouts promise to be “trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent” — the Boy Scout Oath.
This is a familiar scene whenever and wherever Scouts meet — and in this way, Troop 21 is just another troop.
But Troop 21, which meets at Donovan Middle School in Utica, is also part of a Boy Scout initiative called Scoutreach, an effort to introduce Scouting to boys in rural and inner-city areas, where Scouting has not, traditionally, been a strong presence.
Troop 21 Scoutmaster Ricardo F. Rosero said the main idea is to change “the public perception of Scouting (as) a middle-class, suburban organization.”
Unfortunately, Rosero said, there had been many ethnic and socio-economic groups that were underrepresented in the organization. The Scoutreach program is an effort “to reach out to all groups.”
Despite its Scoutreach mission, Troop 21 is much like any other troop — in fact, with their monthly overnights, and frequent canoe, camping and other outings, — the troop is more active than some others.
And while troops in the city face challenges ranging from a lack of parental involvement to a lack of money or transportation, Rosero emphasizes, these challenges also trouble suburban and rural troops.
“Troops reflect the cultural issues. The same things are affecting all the kids,” Rosero said. “The ills of society – that’s what we have to combat, regardless of where the troop is from.”
Zachary Jones, a 15-year-old Thomas R. Proctor sophomore, said that after meeting other troops, “we’re a lot more alike than we thought we were.”
And Jones wants to dispel the myth that Boy Scouts are “perfect.”
“We’re just a bunch of kids. We get together and we’re learning. We’re not perfect,” Jones said, adding that in his three years as a Scout, he’s learned the important thing is “not (to) be perfect but to try your best.”
Still, catching and keeping the attention of urban youth can be challenging for Scoutreach troop leaders.
Word of mouth is an important advertising force – most members of Troop 21 said they became involved because a friend was participating.
But each, like Brandon England, 16, a Proctor freshman, said they eventually became interested in what Scouting had to offer.
“At first, it was to go hang out with people my age, go camping, have fun,” England said. “I got kind of hooked on it.”

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To make students in first through fifth grades aware of what the Boy Scouts offers, the troop set up a station at a community day at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School on June 11.
“What we’re trying to do is recruit more students,” Rosero said.
The Scouts manned several stations representing what they thought was significant or fun about Scouting – including camping, knot-tying and living according to the Scout principles.
Being involved in Scouting is an important opportunity for kids who may grow up with “a very narrow perspective of the world,” Rosero said in an earlier interview. Troop 21 gives teens a chance to broaden their experience of the world, learn survival and safety skills, and develop positive character traits.
Character development, Rosero said, is part of everything Scouts do – for example, planning a camping develops leadership skills.
“… to develop good character traits, they must associate with people with good character,” Rosero said. “Think of us as a way to help a single parent raise their child.”
It’s an aspect of the program that’s paying dividends as Rosero can see a change in the Scouts – and the Scouts can see a change in themselves.
“I’ve learned a lot more respect for my elders,” said Chris McGraw, 13, an 8th grader at Donovan Middle School. “I’ve learned how to control myself.”
Jones said since joining the Boy Scouts he’s become aware of what you miss out on when you live in the city. For example, he said, on a clear night in the country, sky looks totally different – “you see the stars and it’s breathtaking.”
“They need to see more,” Rosero said. “They need the exposure.”

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